Solo Exhibition by South Carolina Native

(September 23, 2009 - Charleston, South Carolina) – The Gibbes Museum of Art will present the exhibition Brian Rutenberg: Tidesong in the Main Gallery from October 23, 2009 through January 10, 2010. Organized by the Jerald Melberg Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, the exhibition features abstract landscape paintings—two of which are thirteen feet wide—by South Carolina native Brian Rutenberg. Inspired by the landscape and waterways of his home state, Rutenberg’s work combines brilliant color with expressive brushwork to create visually stunning abstract paintings. This exhibition accompanies the release of Brian Rutenberg, the first ever major monograph on the artist’s paintings and drawings.

Titled Tidesong, the exhibition includes recent paintings on canvas and works on paper that explore the artist's fascination with the landscape and quality of light along the South Carolina coast. Reflecting on his work, Rutenberg has said, “My imagination was in large part formed by my childhood experience growing up in the Lowcountry of South Carolina from Myrtle Beach down to Charleston and to this day I still use that sense of light and that geography as kind of a springboard, as a starting point for the work even though the work does not end up being about the Lowcountry or anything down there. There's a certain kind of light down there when you're around a lot of water. It's like a silvery, blue light that permeates everything. It can be melancholic. It can be joyful. It can be many, many different facets, and I try to get that feeling of light.”

“We are pleased to host an exhibition for South Carolina native Brian Rutenberg, in conjunction with his new book. The exhibition and the book celebrate his noteworthy mid-career accomplishments,” said Gibbes Executive Director Angela D. Mack.

This exhibition was made possible by funding from the auxiliary group Gibbes, etc. The media sponsor of Tidesong is Charleston magazine.

Related Programming

Artist Talk and Book Signing
Wednesday, October 21, 6pm
Free for Members, $10 for Non-members

Brian Rutenberg
A South Carolina native, Rutenberg received a BFA from the College of Charleston and an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Since 1985, Rutenberg has been honored with over 100 gallery and museum exhibitions across the United States, including a retrospective in 2006 at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia. The artist lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

GIBBES MUSEUM OF ART
Established as the Carolina Art Association in 1858, the Gibbes Museum of Art opened its doors to the public in 1905.

Located in Charleston’s historic district, the Gibbes houses a premier collection of over 10,000 works of fine art, principally American works with a Charleston or Southern connection and presents special exhibitions annually. In addition, the museum offers an extensive complement of public programming and educational outreach initiatives.

As the aesthetic heart of the Lowcountry, the Gibbes serves the community by stimulating creative expression, increasing economic vitality through tourism, and improving the region’s superb quality of life.